Barbadian refs enjoying life in JPL
Published:Saturday | October 12, 2024 | 12:07 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
A number of eastern Caribbean players have been displaying their talents in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) and, overall, they have been doing very well.
Jalmaro Calvin of Antigua and Barbuda and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray are key members of league leaders Cavalier’s squad. Another Trinidadian, Nathaniel James, is in the Mount Pleasant Academy squad.
The Caribbean invasion now includes match officials, as the Barbadian pair of Cleon Culley and Angelo Doyle are also enjoying life in the league.
Culley stated that it was an easy decision to jet off to this part of the region because of the quality of football that is being played in the JPL, and also to improve his own skill set.
He said the quality of the football and the need to get a different exposure in the Caribbean are two things that pushed him to come to Jamaica.
“I’ve been a referee for 11 years and it was an easy decision because I’ve a lot of referee friends here. I also wanted to better my officiating skills and improve on my knowledge of the game,” Culley stated.
The veteran match official explained that a pre-game preparation phase entails doing his own research on the participating teams before stepping onto the pitch to execute his duties.
“The tempo is good and the playing style is different from back home. The day before a game, I’ll do match analysis and watch the participating teams to know which players are the ‘trouble players’, the skilful players and just the ones to watch out for. I’ll also do a debriefing with my team and then, on the day, you just go out and execute to plan,” Culley stated.
Doyle explained that he also made the move to improve his skills as a match official.
“I have been looking for challenges to develop my skill as an assistant referee. I asked if it was possible for me to come Jamaica to do football and it came through. So I grasped the opportunity to come to improve and develop my skills. I’ve been a FIFA assistant referee for three years but I started the job back in 2015,” he stated.
Doyle, whose duties carry him closer to the supporters on the sidelines, shared that the atmosphere for JPL matches when compared to games in Barbados was very different. He added that while the skill sets of the players makes his job more challenging, it is something that he relishes.
“It’s tougher, as the atmosphere with the fans is different. The players with their skill set makes it much more challenging but my fitness is up to par. The physicality of the game is also different from home,” Doyle said.